WEBVTT IT ENDED AT 4TH AND CENTRAL. AFTER PICTURES OF ALBUQUERQUE POLICE IN TACTICAL GEAR TEAR GASSING PROTESTORS WENT NATIONAL... SOME QUESTION THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS. BUT TONIGHT, THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE MAYOR FEEL THE PROPER ACTION WAS TAKEN. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER REGINA RUIZ JOINS US LIVE WITH MORE. SHELLY, THE CHIEF WRAPPED UP A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. HE SAYS THE UNRULY PROTESTORS CAME TO HIS OFFICERS, THEY DIDN'T GO TO THEM. CHIEF GORDEN EDEN SAYS THE PROTEST WENT FROM PEACEFUL TO A VERY ANGRY MOB. IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE HE EXPLAINEDHE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THAT CHANGE OF TONE. BUT, THE CHIEF SAID THERE WERE ATTACKS WITHIN THE GROUP OF PROTESTORS ON EACHOTHER. ONE MAN HAD AN AK-47 AND WENT INTO THE CROWD WITH THE WEAPON. THE CHIEF CITED THESE TWO INCIDENTS AS MAIN REASONS POLICE RELEASED TEAR GAS ON THE PROTESTORS IN TWO SEPARATE LOCATIONS. HE SAID IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THE PLAN TO HAVE TACTICAL OFFICERS ON STANDBY, IN CASE THE PROTEST TURNED UNRULY. THE CHIEF DID COMMEND HIS OFFICERS FOR REMAINING CALM AND SHOWING RESTRAINT. HE SAID HIS OFFICERS DID THE BEST THEY COULD TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY. I think it's very important for everyone to understand that yesterday, there was no police presence during the protest. We had our emergency response teams deployed to an area, that was very far away from the crowd, very far away What appears to have happened is the original protestors may not have been the folks who were engaging in illegal activity, so we have to make sure we are in a place where people can express their opinions THE PROTESTORS OUT YESTERDAY WERE CALLING FOR JUSTICE FOR JAMES BOYD. WE ASKED THE CHIEF FOR AN UPDATE ON THE INVESTIGATION AND THE OFFICERS WHO FIRED THEIR WEAPONS. HE SAID HE COULDN'T COMMENT ON EITHER. OFFICERS KEITH SANDY AND DOMINIQUE PEREZ WERE PUT ON LEAVE FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING.